Yanda suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament with the team awaiting final results from a magnetic resonance imaging exam to confirm the initial diagnosis. He will require surgery, will be placed on injured reserve and faces a lengthy, grueling rehabilitation period to try to return for next season.
"It looks like Yanda is going to be out," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Based on preliminary look, he does not look good. My guess is that he’s going to be out for the season.
"It’s a big blow. Yanda is a Raven in every way. He’s played really well. He’s been an anchor for our offensive line. Whoever ends up going in there and taking that spot is going to have big shoes to fill and the rest of the guys are going to have to play that much better."
In his second season as a starter, Yanda got hurt during the final two minutes of the Ravens’ 31-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Now, the Ravens have to identify his replacement heading into Sunday’s road game against the Miami Dolphins.
According to Harbaugh, the Ravens are pondering whether to insert right tackle Adam Terry at guard next to Willie Anderson, which would give the Ravens a bigger right side of the line. Or, the team could promote former second-round pick Chris Chester to the starting lineup.
Another possible candidate is rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins.
Terry is recovering from a sprained right knee and torn lateral meniscus that kept him against
"It could be Adam Terry, if he’s healthy," Harbaugh said. "Chris Chester is certainly in the mix. Oniel Cousins is in the mix. We’ll just have to see how it shakes out."
Meanwhile, the Ravens are awaiting results of MRI exams on return specialist Yamon Figurs (left knee contusion) and wide receiver Demetrius Williams. The team didn’t specify Williams’ injury, but he was seen limping around the locker room Sunday and has a history of ankle and Achilles’ tendon problems.
"We don’t suspect it’s anything serious," Harbaugh said in a reference to both players.
Nickel back Fabian Washington could possibly return this week from a dislocated right shoulder, according to Harbaugh.
"We’re really hopeful," Harbaugh said. "Fabian has been working like crazy to get back, and I think there’s a real chance he’ll be back, but we can’t say for sure."
STRUGGLING: After two games, the Ravens were sporting an undefeated record and were in first place in the AFC North.
It has been a mighty fall during a three-game losing streak with the latest setback coming as Peyton Manning humbled the NFL’s top-ranked defense with three touchdown passes as the Ravens’ offense turned it over five times.
Unlike a pair of three-point losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans, the Ravens weren’t competitive as they were dominated by the Colts in the third-worst loss in franchise history.
The Ravens remain in second place in the division behind the Steelers (4-1).
"We allowed the Colts to play the way the Colts wanted to play," Harbaugh said. "We just need to get better all across the board. We’re going to be doing this for the next three or four years here. To say that the result was last Sunday is not true. The result is where we’re going and what we’re becoming.
"This situation, like any situation, is what we make of it. We can be sitting here undefeated and we’d be talking about the 100 things we need to do to get better. We’ve lost three games in a row, two close and one by a large margin, and there are 100 things we need to do to get better. That’s how we have to approach it."
HEAP NOT INVOLVED AGAIN: Tight end Todd Heap caught just one pass for 13 yards against the Colts. He was kept in for pass protection a lot, but was responsible for allowing one of defensive end Robert Mathis’ three sacks.
Heap has struggled over the past few years with ankle and hamstring injuries and missed time during the preseason with a calf injury. He doesn’t appear to be in sync with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and has just eight receptions for 91 yards.
"I know he’s been hurt for about a year-and-a-half, right? On and off," Harbaugh said. "I think Todd is a very good tight end, and that’s going to be a huge help to Joe as we go forward, no question. The thing I see in Todd is a guy who has just been killing himself to get back to where he’s been in the past, to where he thinks he should be.
"Todd believes he’s one of the best tight ends in the league, and I don’t think anybody can dispute he’s capable of that. Here’s a guy who comes out to practice every day, doing everything he can to get back to that level. I’ll be re ally surprised if Todd Heap is not a go-to guy for Joe the rest of the way as we go forward."
EVANS PASSES: Former Ravens fullback Chuck Evans died Sunday morning in
Funeral services will be held in
QUICK HITS: Harbaugh declined to specify whether cornerback Chris McAlister was supposed to have help from a safety on wide receiver Marvin Harrison’s 67-yard touchdown catch. "We just didn’t cover it well as a defense," he said. McAlister was beaten twice by
Aaron Wilson covers the
